''Alstonia congensis'', is a tree within the

Apocynaceae Apocynaceae (from ''Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison Members of the ...

family and one of two African species within the

Alstonia ''Alstonia'' is a widespread genus of evergreen trees and shrubs, of the family Apocynaceae. It was named by Robert Brown in 1811, after Charles Alston (1685–1760), professor of botany at Edinburgh from 1716 to 1760. The type species ''Alsto ...

genus, the other being the ''

Alstonia boonei ''Alstonia boonei'' is a very large, deciduous, tropical-forest tree belonging to the family Apocynaceae. It is native to tropical West Africa, with a range extending into Ethiopia and Tanzania. Its common name in the English timber trade is chee ...

'' De Wild. Both have similar morphological characteristics. The root and stem bark contains the

alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar ...

s echitamine and echitamidine.

Description

The species can grow as high as 30 meters tall, trunk is cylindrical; bark, smooth or scaly, brown - yellow. Leaves, between 4 and 8 together in verticillate arrangement, petiole, 0-0.5 cm long; leaf-blade,

obovate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...

to narrowly obovate in outline, glaucous or coriaceous upper surface, duller beneath,

acuminate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...

at apex and decurrent into the base. Flower: sepals, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, pale green.

Distribution

Occurs in West Tropical Africa and parts of Central Africa, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo, grows in high forest and freshwater swamp forest.

Uses

Leaf and root bark extracts used in the topical treatment of rheumatic pains, root extracts used in decoction to treat mild malaria fever.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15392445 Flora of West Tropical Africa Flora of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Flora of Angola congensis Taxa named by Adolf Engler